Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
"A real textbook is just easier," explains Viki Nguyen. "You can look through it and find information." "I like the feeling of having an actual book in my hand," says classmate Karlie Rogers. "It's easier for me to find things." Matthew Stoffel says reading on a computer screen saves him the trouble of "flipping" through pages. "Plus, it's up to date," he adds. "The district can't afford to buy us new books, but the online books have current information." Their teacher says she is happy that students have a choice. "Not all of my students learn the same way," says Sherri Saucedo, Riverside City Teachers Association, who chairs her school's seventh-grade social studies department. "Some students want a hard copy and the feel of paper in front of them. For others, words just float "Not all of my students learn the same way," says Sherri Saucedo of Karlie Rogers, Matthew Stoffel, and Vicki Nguyen. hree seventh-graders at Frank Augustus Miller Middle School have the option of reading a social studies chapter on a computer screen or in a textbook. Two of the three sharing a table read an actual book, while the other reads a digital version. The students' choices reflect what stud- ies show: They may live in the digital age where most of what they read is online — texting, Facebook or Instagram — but the majority prefer books when it comes to reading for comprehension and pleasure. T by in a textbook, and reading on an iPad or phone keeps them engaged. Sometimes they read on their phone, which is fine; it's glued to their hand anyway." H A S C A L I F O R N I A R E A L LY G O N E D I G I TA L? Amid much fanfare, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 visited Calabasas High School to introduce the nation's first Free Digital Textbook Initia- tive, designed to save the state millions by terminating textbooks, which he referred to as "dated," vowing that high school students would have access to digital science and math textbooks the following year. Six years later, the transition has yet to happen. Patti Harris, a journalism teacher, was at the "launch" and quoted in the local newspaper about her excitement at going digital. "We have not yet taken the leap to e-readers and/or tablets for the stu- dents," says Harris, Las Virgenes Education Association. "I have students who use digital book technology. However, almost 90 percent use the paper version, regardless if it is a book for fun or textbooks." The district, says Harris, never made a true digital conversion. "My best guess is there was no money and it was wishful thinking on the part of the governor. I am somewhat disappointed, because I felt it was an easy way for students to access literature and textbooks. There is talk that tablets are going to begin rolling out next year." The California Department of Education doesn't keep records on how many schools use e-textbooks. The reality is that most school districts 37 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7